Resilient wheel



April 1 1924.

G. H. ROBINSON RESILIENT WHEEL Filed Sent. 2'7 1919 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril 1 1924,

G. H. ROBINSON RES ILIENT WHEEL Filed Sent. 27, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 aw, MWM/ MQ/ April 1 1924.

G. H. ROBINSON RESILIENT WHEEL Filed Sent. 27

Patented Apr. 1, W24.

' UNITED srr cries.)

enonen H. nosrnson, or new YORK: n. Y.

BESILIENT WHEEL.

Application filed September 27, 1919. Serial No. 326,880.

New York and State of New York, havev invented a certain new and useful Resilient Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for an object to provide a resilient wheel of such character that the proper resilience is obtained by th use of as few and simple parts as possible, and in which such parts shall be capable of withstanding long continued use without undue wear or deterioration,

Another object is to produce such a wheel wherein the degree of resilience may be readily adjusted, particularly in regard to the amount of yield permitted, and the quickness of reaction under shocks imposed upon the wheel.

The invention also contemplates an advantageous method of making cushioning devices adapted to be'used in connection with the wheel.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained, in which is disclosed certain embodiments thereof; such embodiments, however, are to be considered merely as illustrative of its principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wheel constructed in accordance with the invention, shown as supporting weight at its hub.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are views showing in difilerent stages of manufacture, one form of cushioning device which may be employed in a construction such as disclosed in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are views similar to Figs. 2 to 4:, but showing a modified form of cushioning device.

The invention is disclosed'in connection with a wheel of the suspension type, having outer and inner supporting members 1 and2 respectively, between which are in terposed cushioning devices denoted generally by numeral 3 and later described in greater detail.

In the present embodiment the rim 1 of the wheel, having a tread 4 of any desired character is employed as the outer supporting member, and the inner supporting mem her 2 consists of a ring carried by the hub 5 of the wheel in any suitable manner, for instance by a plurality of spokes 6 of suitable character. The particular construction of the wheel is not essential to the invention, and it accordingly will not be described in greater detail. I

The cushioningdevices 3 interposed between the outer and inner supporting members 1 and 2, respectively, are relied upon to supply the desired resiliency between the body of the vehicle, the weight of which is imposed upon hub 5 of the wheel, and the tread l of the wheel which bears upon the surface over which the vehicle is traveling.

In the embodiment illustrated, the cushioning device is provided with a band 7 which may consist of layers of fabric such as frictioned cotton duck, cord, or other suitable material which may be vulcanized, but which need not, however, be relied upon to furnish any substantial resilience or resistance to change in shape, and which may b nonresilient in some embodiments. Witha in the above band 7 there is located a resilient insert 8 such, for example, as soft rubher, which forms a cushion resisting changes in shape ofsaid band.

The cushioning devices 3 are suitably held in place between the outer and inner supporting members 1 and 2, respectively, as by bolts 9 engaging between bosses 10 on the rim 1, and dogs 11 having their shape conformed to the curvature of the adjacent portion of the bands 7. Similar bolts 13, with dogs 14- may be used to secure the inner" ends of the cushioning devices to the inner ring 2. Thus a suitable number of cushioning devices may be disposed around the. wheel, with their longitudinal axes in substantially radial lines.

When the bolts 9 and 13 are tightened up, the cushioning devices may be put under tension, which will tend to elongate them and draw in their sides, against the opposing force exerted by the resilient inserts 8.

Since the wheel illustrated is of the suspen-- sion type, the upper cushioning devices will further tend to elongate in use, owing to the weight of the vehicle and load carried thereby which is imposed on the hub 5, while the lower cushioning devices will be expanded laterally or transversely as also appears in said figure. If desired, the resilient inserts 8 may be initially compressed when placed Within bands 7 whereby they V will tend to spread the sides of the bands under normal conditions.

When the vehicle is subjected to shocks, the upper cushioning members will tend to elongate and contract laterally, which action is opposed and cushioned by the inserts 8, which dampen the vibrations of the vehicle and quickly restore. equilibrium as soon as the source of shocks is passed over. At the same time, the lower cushioning devices are normally flattened or expanded laterally, because of the lateral pressure exerted on hands 7 by the inserts 8, and the relief of such lower cushioning devices from radial tension. On the rebound, the inserts of the lower cushioning devices oppose and cushion the elongation of such devices which occurs. In other words, the cushioning devices are continually subjected to strains at right angles to each other, and which tend to neutralize each other, the lateral forces due to the inserts 8 always opposing and counteracting the radial forces imposed on the cushioning devices through bolts 9 and 13 from the shocks to which the wheel is subjected.

If desired, the construction may be arranged to permit adjustment of the amount of yield which the cushioning devices will permit, and also their quickness of reaction under a given shock. This is accomplished in the form shown in Fig. 1, by providing spacers 15 of any desired number or thickness, which may be interposed between the cushioning devices and the members 1 and 2, so as to regulate the tension on the cushioning devices whichwill be imposed when bolts 9 and 13 are tightened. If the tension is decreased the cushioning devices obviously will yield more readily to shocks and will restore equilibrium less quickly than would be the case if a relatively high tension were employed.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4; illustrate an advantageous method of making cushioning devices such as are used in the resilient wheel above described. As shown in Fig. 2, the band 7 may be formed by winding layers of fabric under pressure onto a mandrel, the mandrel being preferably of a shape approximating the shape desired for the cushioning device when the latter is completed and assembled in the wheel, for instance the square shape shown in Fig. 2. The band may then be at least partially vulcanized, and is removed from the mandrel and pressed into the diamond shape shown in Fig. 3. The resilient insert 8 is then placed within the band, and the whole unit put into a mold ofproper form, and vulcanized, the band and insert being thus united together at their contacting portions. When the completed cushioning device is assembled in the wheel as shown in Fig. 4c, the

tension put upon the'band by bolts 9 and 13 will bring it back to a shape approximating the square form shown in Fig. 2 by drawing in its sides and compressing the insert 8. Thus the insert 8 is normally under a certain amount of compression in use even before being subjected to substantial load or shock.

The embodiment disclosed in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 is similar to the one above described and is made in the same'manner, except that the band 7 is wound circular instead of square as shown in Fig. 5, and is then pressed into the oblong form shown in Fig. 6, wherein its top and bottom are substantially flat, and its sides curved with a radius of curvature substantially the same as that of the original circle. After the insert 8 is placed in operative position in the manner previously described, and the cushioning device assembled in the wheel as shown in Fig. 7, the tension on bolts 9 and 13 will draw the band 7 back to a substantially circular form in the same way that the band of Fig. 4 is drawn back to the original square form shown in Fig; 2. 7

While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been described, it is obvious that many changes may be made therein without departing from the principle thereof as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A resilient wheel having in combination inner and outer supporting members, and a cushioning device comprising a fieXible band interposed between such members, supporting means for said band permitting transverse movements of the portions thereof which are between said supporting members, whereby relative movement between said members tends to change the shape of said band, and means acting transversely'of said band to yieldingly oppose change in shape thereofdue to such relative movement.

2. A resilient wheel having in combina tion outer and inner supporting members, and a cushioning device comprising a fixible band interposed between said members, supporting means for said band permitting transverse movements of the portions thereof which are between said supporting members,- and means for imposing transverse strains upon said band to yieldingly oppose and counteract the strains imposed thereon by relative movement between said support ing members. 7

3. A resilient wheel having in combination outer and inner supporting members, and a cushioning device comprising a flexible band radially tensioned between and secured to said members, and means tending to separate the sides of said band to oppose change in shape thereof due to radial tension.

fl:- A resilient wheel having in combina- IOU 1 ,essnao tion an outer rim and an inner supporting member, and a plurality of cushioning devices comprising fiexible bands attachedto the rim and said member along substantially radial lines, and resilient means tending to separate the sides of said bands, and thereby oppose change in shape thereof due to relative movement between said rim and said inner supporting member.

5. A resilient wheel having in combination outer and inner supporting members, a plurality of flexible bands interposed therebetween, and mechanical strain transmitting elements bearing upon said bands, and tending to -t'orce the same outwardly in bot-h radial and transverse directions.

6. A resilient wheel having in combination outer and inner supporting members, and a plurality of cushioning device-s comprising bands made up of layers of fabric, bolts clamping said bands respectively to said supporting members and tensioning the same therebetween, whereby the bands at the upper portion of the wheel tend toelongate and contract transversely under the weight imposed thereon by the inner portion of the wheel, and transverse resilient inserts extending between the sides of said bands.

7. A resilient wheel having in combination outer and inner supportingmembers, and a. plurality of cushioning devices comprising bands made up of layers of fabric, bolts clam-ping said bands respectively to said supporting members and tensioning the same therebetween, whereby the bands at the upper portion of the wheel tend to elongate and contract transversely under the weight imposed thereon by the inner portion of the wheel, and transverse resilient inserts extending between the sides of said bands, and normally tending to spread the same.

8. A resilient wheel having in combination outer and inner supporting members, and a plurality of cushioning devices comprising bands made up of layers of fabric, bolts clamping said bands respectively to said supporting members and tensioning the same therebetween, whereby the bands at the upper portion of the wheel tend to elongate and contract transversely under the weight imposed thereon by the inner portion of the wheel, and transverse resilient inserts of soft rubber integrally united to the sides of said bands.

9. A resilient wheel having in combination outer and inner supporting members, and a plurality of cushioning devices comprising bands made up of layers of fabric, bolts clamping said bands respectively to said supporting members and tensioning the same therebetween, whereby the bands at the upper portion of the Wheel tend to elongate and contract transversely under the weight imposed thereon by the inner portion of the wheel, and transverse resilient inserts of tion outer and inner supporting members,

anda plurality of cushioning devices comprising elongatable elements, bolts for clamping said elements respectively to said members and thereby placingsaid elements under tension, and spaces adapted to be inserted between said members and elements to adjust the amount of tension imposed upon the latter.

.11. A resilient wheel having in combination outer and inner supporting members, and a plurality of cushioning devices comprising flexible bands, bolts for clamping said bands respectively to said members and thereby placing the bands under tension between the same, means tending to spread the sides of said bands, and spacers adapted to be inserted between said members and the bands to adjust the amount of tension imposed upon the latter.

12. A cushioning device for resilient wheels comprising a flexible band, and a resilient insert within said band adapted to oppose a change in shape of the band.

13. A cushioning device for resilient wheels comprising a flexible band. and a resilient insert of soft rubber placed under compression and extending between opposite walls of said band so as to tend to spread the same.

14:. A- cushioning device for resilient wheels comprising a flexible band made up of layers of fabric impregnated with rubber, and a resilient insert of soft rubber extending between opposite walls of said band so as to tend to spread the same, said insert being integrally united to said walls at the points of contact therewith.

15. The method of making a cushioning device which comprises forming a band into a shape approximating that taken by the device under working conditions, distorting said band to accommodate a resilient member of the desired size therewithin, and placing such member within the band.

16. The method of making a cushioning device which comprises winding a fabric into a band of a shape approximating that taken by the device under working conditions, distorting said band to enable it to receive a resilient insert larger than could be accommodated by the band in its original shape, and placing such insert within the band. a

17. The method of making a cushioning device which comprises winding a fabric into a band of a shape approximating that taken by the device under working conditions. distorting said band to enable it to receive a soft rubber insert larger than could be accommodated by the band in'its original Shape placing such insert Within the band,

and vulcanizing the band and insert to unite the contacting portions thereof.

'18. A resilient Wheel having in combination outer and inner supporting members, cushioning devices comprising spaced flexible bands interposed between said supporting members and attached thereto so as to be subjected in use to substantially radial strains and means acting transversely of 10 said bands tending to yieldingly oppose. changes in shape thereof due to radial strains.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 95th day 15 of September, 1919.

GEORGE H. ROBINSON. 

